Willful Ignorance
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Jemma is still falling apart months after the pod incident and needs Fitz by her side. Spoilers and speculation for season two based on the promo.


**I don't own SHIELD and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

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><p>Jemma knew something wasn't right about Fitz being back with only minimal health problems but she chose to ignore it. She didn't want to think about what was going on outside in the real world. She was content just to work in the lab and to let the others do what needed to be done. They were helping and so was she. "You need to relax," Fitz urged.<p>

"I can't, Fitz. I need to work on this formula. It's vital, and Coulson needs it to work." Jemma couldn't fail at this or else she'd fall apart and neither of them needed this.

"What you need to do is go to bed and sleep. Rest is what you need."

"I do not need rest!" she snapped. Why was everyone bound and determined to make sure she ate right and rested? Jemma was perfectly fine and that's all there was to it. She needed them to back the fuck off (wow, she really was pissed).

"Jemma, please. For me? I'll even rest with you." His pleading eyes broke what little control she had left.

Jemma sighed. "Fine, but you don't need to rest with me. You need to be in your own bed so you don't hurt yourself any further."

"I won't."

"Fitz, you got upset because you couldn't think straight earlier and I don't want that to happen to you again. Let me worry about you instead of you worrying about me because I'm fine. I didn't get hurt, unlike you."

"Jemma, just go to bed." She was exasperating but he honestly didn't mind all that much since he loved her.

She rolled her eyes but complied and went to sleep with Fitz's arms wrapped around her. She woke up to Skye shaking her. "Sorry but we need your help, Jem. I wouldn't have bothered you if this wasn't important."

Jemma yawned and rolled over to find Fitz gone. He was probably already working on this thing they needed her for. "It's fine, Skye. Honestly." She was more worried about Skye in the aftermath of her visit to the prison to ask Ward for help.

"You look like you're not feeling well. Are you sick? Or is this just stress?" Skye bit her lip and frowned at her best friend.

Jemma shrugged off the worry. "I am perfectly fine and I'd be better if people stopped asking me that question." She smiled when she saw Fitz hard at work already.

Skye stared at her in confusion but just sighed and went off to talk to Coulson and May about the day's events as Trip started to inform Jemma about what had happened. She quickly got to work and tried to ignore a rambling Fitz.

She was moving around and trying to do so many things at once that Jemma wasn't surprised when she accidentally broke a glass. She sighed and got to work on cleaning it up and shooed Fitz away when he tried to help. "I don't need your help, Fitz. I'm fine."

"Stop lying to me, Jemma. I know you and I'm the one person you never have to lie to." He worriedly smiled at her.

Jemma waved off his concern. "I am not lying, Fitz. Stop analyzing my every action because you're getting on my nerves." She couldn't take this overbearing behavior much longer.

Skye stepped into the room a few minutes later to check up on Jemma's progress. "You need help with that broken glass?"

Jemma shook her head. "Why is that all of you think I need your help? I don't. I'm not some fragile little flower you need to protect because I'm a grown woman. I should have Fitz that when he asked me a little bit ago but I didn't. You hear me, Fitz?" She was about to say something else but stopped dead in her tracks at the growing look of horror on Skye's face. "What?"

Skye choked on a sob. "Jemma, something's not right with you because Fitz isn't here."

She looked over to him and they exchanged confused glances with each other. Jemma didn't miss Skye darting her eyes over in the same direction. "Don't be silly. What are you talking about?"

Skye's answer rocked her world. "Jemma, Fitz hasn't been here at all, in this lab. He's still in the med pod, comatose."


End file.
